Access to the latest technology has become increasingly easier in recent years. Just imagine that today, if you have a mobile phone you can scan a mole to see if it’s cancerous or not.
What was Science Fiction a couple of years ago, it’s just reality today. For example, an ordinary printer costing under 100$ is used for 3D printing of medical devices that can improve or even save lives.
3D printing in healthcare
“No industry stands to gain as much from adoption of 3D printing as healthcare” says Scott Summit, speaker at ICEEhealth, the digital health satellite event of ICEEfest 2016.
Designer and researcher at Stanford University, Scott explains that 3D printing was meant initially to complement the usual everyday products, but instead ended up being a major disruptor in healthcare.
What we’ve found out from Scott’s presentation is that today 3D printing offers solutions for a large area of needs.
- By simulating an accident, he revealed us that every part of our body can benefit from the advantages of this kind of technology
- Globally, the number of people needing prosthetic limbs exceeds the doctors – 3D printing and distributed networks of specialists could mitigate this situation
Personal examples
With the risk of being the first speaker showing a picture with himself naked in the shower, Scott demonstrated how he designed a solution for himself when he broke his arm.
“As a patient, I showered every day, something awkward and unlikely with a traditional cast, which can never get wet“, said Scott.
“My team created an arm cast for me. Before surgery, we 3D scanned my arm, then used that geometry to create a perfectly conformal cast for use over the 4 months of recovery“, he explains.
What’s important to know is that the materials cost approximately 30$.
Moreover, doctor visits, traditionally lasting over an hour because the cast must be sawn off, were reduced to only 10 minutes, since the inspection of the surgery site was completely visible. The healing was significantly faster, with less scar tissues and… shower included.
Don’t miss out the opportunity to watch a presentation that will literally show you that “the future has arrived — it’s just not evenly distributed yet” (William Gibson):
